


And when your head hits the pillow at night fall

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: But he's getting better, Character Study, Coda to the newest episode, Drabble, Gen, One Shot, Think Piece, coda to 22 steps, hopefully, i'll pretend I didn't just google what it's name was, melendez is a jerk, um, very short, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-04 23:46:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12782256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: ...you can bet your life that it's gonna be a fight ya'll.Melendez can't help but feel some form of guilt.





	And when your head hits the pillow at night fall

**Author's Note:**

> Finally! Do you know how it annoying it is, to want to write something, but not having any idea for a story?? And then having to wait to get inspired?? 
> 
> What am I saying ya'll probably do.

Melendez can't help but feel guilt during the surgery. Well, amongst other things, but that feeling is there, quiet and small amid harried thoughts about the sudden complications and the parents displeasure. As small as it is, though, that guilt weighs heavily.

He hadn't really thought much of his actions at the time (or perhaps he had, subconsciously. His hands suddenly growing hot and sweaty under the blue elastic gloves in a way they hadn't in all the time he'd been here and under all the pressure he'd experienced). Then he'd thought the world of it after Shaun stared at the outstretched scalpel with wide eyes.

Neil remembered frowning slightly, annoyed that Murphy wasn't reaching for it.

"Well, are you going to take it or not?"

His mouth moved slightly as if he was going to say something but decided against it, then with tentative hands he took the scalpel.

It was then Neil fully registered his actions. Shaun's breathless rattling off of facts, naming the seemingly insignificant metal and it size. Oh.

It was his first, wasn't it?

The guilt grew, it's seeds having been planted by the parents firmly refusing to let Shaun help their son. Perhaps if they hadn't done that, it would've taken Melendez longer to realize. (Is that what he looked like when he told Shaun all he would ever do was suction? Is that what he sounded like?)

This strange feeling was ridiculous, surgeons tested their newest surgical residents all of the time, this was no different.

(Except not all new aspiring surgeons were met with ridicule and prejudice every step of the way, by their superiors and the parents of the patient they were being paid to treat.)

Shaun looked at the clock, a strange unfamiliar smile, endearing and shy and joyful all at once, "Time of incision, 2:05 p.m."

Melendez swallowed the lump growing in the back of his throat and watched Doctor Murphy excel at his job. 


End file.
